Health News:Toxins remain in your clothes ♦ WHO: Eating processed meats increases chances of developing certain cancers ♦ Spotting the earliest signs of type 1 diabetic kidney disease

WHO: Eating processed meats increases chances of developing certain cancers After reviewing an assessment of the best available scientific evidence, the World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that the consumption of processed meats can increase a person’s chances of developing certain cancers. WHO, the Geneva-based public health arm of the United Nations, was following a recommendation from its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

Depression too often reduced to a checklist of symptoms How can you tell if someone is depressed? The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) -- the 'bible' of psychiatry -- diagnoses depression when patients tick off a certain number of symptoms on the DSM checklist. A large-scale quantitative study now shows that some symptoms play a much bigger role than others in driving depression, and that the symptoms listed in DSM may not be the most useful ones

Toxins remain in your clothes Thousands of chemicals are used in clothes manufacturing. Researchers have examined if there are chemicals in the clothes we buy as well. Several substances related to health risks were identified and not even organic cotton was a guarantee for non-toxic textiles

Spotting the earliest signs of type 1 diabetic kidney disease In an effort to pinpoint the earliest signs of diabetic kidney disease, researchers are leading a multi-institutional international effort dedicated to finding a new breed of disease indicators.

Blackouts and near drownings may signal sudden death risk Blackouts and near drowning events may signal an increased risk of sudden death, reveals new research. Such events point to long QT syndrome, a genetic heart condition that can be undetected or misdiagnosed as epilepsy or a panic attack.

Cardiovascular Research: Deciphering causes of sudden death ♦ Better function after stroke if clots removed ♦ Cognitive problems are common after cardiac arrest

Cognitive problems are common after cardiac arrest  Half of all patients who survive a cardiac arrest experience problems memory and attention. Surprisingly, however, a control group had largely the same level of problems. This suggests that it is not only the cardiac arrest and the consequent lack of oxygen to the brain that is the cause of the patients’ difficulties.

Game-changer for stroke treatment: Better function after stroke if clots removed Patients with severe strokes had far better outcomes when they were treated using not only a drug to dissolve the blood clot causing the stroke, but also with a procedure to grab, dislodge and remove the clot, according to an international study.

Should they stay or should they go? Study finds no harm from hospital policies that let families observe CPR  When a hospital patient’s heart stops, the drama starts, as doctors and nurses work furiously at resuscitation. Some hospitals allow family members to watch, while the majority do not. Now, a study has shown for the first time on a national scale that patients do just as well after a cardiac arrest either way

Applied physics helps decipher causes of sudden death  Sudden cardiac death accounts for approximately 10% of natural deaths, most of which are due to ventricular fibrillation. Each year it causes 300,000 deaths in the United States. Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that the transition to calcium alternans, an arrhythmia associated with increased risk of sudden death, has common features with the magnetic ordering of metals. This new finding improves our understanding of the physical causes of sudden death and will advance the design of drugs to prevent it.

Health News for Seniors: Beer fend off Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases ♦ Antibiotics with diuretic can double risk of sudden death ♦ Compound found in grapes may help prevent memory loss

Beer compound could help fend off Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases

The health-promoting perks of wine have attracted the spotlight recently, leaving beer in the shadows. But scientists are discovering new ways in which the latter could be a more healthful beverage than once thought. It turns out that a compound from hops could protect brain cells from damage -- and potentially slow the development of disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Continue Reading

Commonly used antibiotics with diuretic can double risk of sudden death in older patients

The combination of the commonly prescribed antibiotic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole with the diuretic spironolactone, widely used for heart failure, more than doubles the risk of death for older patients, reports a study Continue Reading

Compound found in grapes, red wine may help prevent memory loss

A compound found in common foods such as red grapes and peanuts may help prevent age-related decline in memory, according to new research. Continue Reading